The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-15
THE INTERSTATE cow
MERGE SWI>DLE AND
FRAUD

The very OBJECT OF the interstate
commerce law was to prevent the
uscrepal c.es III the rates Of charges
between short and long auls.
Yet the very fir t sct Of the cons
nis>i0. ers suspends the law IS 10
he short and lohg hau. in nearly Il
the Sulthcrn States. We thought
| h ci~i! service law aid the com
/ mission confined was the mOnn-
mental humhug Of tue age, hut that
outrage. humhug ana fraud pale>
md Silks cut of sight in compar:- 81
| with the interstate commerce law and .
commission. In The first Place n"
i've men, nor hundred m on :sp !
.ile Of the globe could attend to al |
the railroads and transportation OF /
this cOuI try, In the second pace /
the law itself is in the interest of the
railroads and against the peopl ard
the commission will b. converted =
to political machine with power t, |
kill and make alive. In the third
place the bill is uncOnstitionll and
utterly imprs ctical. 1t is nncon-
stitutional in this that 1t takes charge
of two roads because they cOnG6c
Oh State Ines and says what each
shall charIe for services rendered to
individuals. If this is not maxim
contracts for parties without their
consent ard against their VIII, We
are mistaken. 1t is demonstrations
Il in this. th;tCOngress ha. delegated
is powers, if it ever had any, to a
commission. In our judgment Con-
gress has no such powers as it has
assumed Aud if we are wrong in
. THU, and such powers W, re delegated
. to Congress in the constitution, Ger.
: tain by that tOiy cannot rtdelegate
: those powers TO q commission. 1t
is unconstitutional in this, that the
, law is not Uniform. Congress can
: not dis criminate in the passage of
r Its laws against one road and in
favor Of another. In other words
: the law must apply to all roads alike.
4 A law or an order by the commission
a allowing one road to charge more
I, for a short laul than for a long haul
T and forbldd.ng all other roads would
c tie unconstitutional. All general
/ laws must BE- uniform and bear on
a all subjects and all Properties alike.
: 70 exempt the roads from the uper-
I atoms of the act that come in com
!. petition with water ways, is a power
S that neither the commission nor
n Congress has under the organic law
T of the land. The Whole thirg is a
l.. fraud, and the President ought to
= convene Congress IN extra session at
o one and recommend It's repeal.Ot ali
t the measures that ever got through
- Congress from the foundation Of the
d Cover nment, this one is the most
centrulizing. dang ferrous, unjust and
, uuCOu>t ItutIOnal
'CongresS shall have power to regulate
commerce among the States.''
What does this meant Is it pos
Slhle for 1t to mean that Congress
shall tax charge of all the country
% roads, public high ways, and the
" railways that lead from one Site
" INTO another? Can it mean that
) Congress shall say at what Price ]
II or corporation shall haul good p,
over our roads, built with Our money
" by authority or license from the
Sat S? Can Congress say or fix
10 the price at which | an to haul a
y barrel of corn, bale of cettun, or q
- hogShead of tobacco OF box OF
u meat ar dry goods FROM Richmond
Va to Scotland Neck, n. c. over 8
road built by me with my own
v III, hey ? Can Congress make con
- tract 70 III, ne Chant IN Raleigi
fXIr1 tn, freight at Which the !ai
road, OI the wagDner shall h al his
:" goods from RlrhuondR &c 10 no.
Believe ANY such pDwer c IN G fount
H. tre constitution. fit can it i:
* i" the WORT, t. 'rcgula commerce
anon the Sta es." What does re,
~ gulate mean? If it means to fix tn;
' "ri"e "E carrying gbods from orr
State to asuther, why can't Conyres:
= tx the price of the goods as Will
If Congress has the pow er to sa,
& at what price | shall haul good!
:" from one State to anot her under tht
word to ':rtgul4te" it must have TN,
der lie same word to re -ulate'
power t. say what | shall pay TO
III the g G Is AMI the price at which
Dr. shall sell them. How can Congres.
ri say that a railroad which has to co n
p tie VIII the river, lake or COas
J" transportation may reduce its rat
." of freight but that railroad whlcl
1T does not com i competition will
III water transportation shall 40. due.
e If